Moving to CDA: Too good to be true? (Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls: house, transfer to)

[sjhoag]

Hi all! My wife and I are most likely going to be moving to Coeur d'Alene in the near future. It looks beautiful there and my wife is especially excited. We live in NC right now and can't wait to leave. I am a little anxious about the whole thing as I am a Florida boy. However, my wife grew up in Wasilla, AK and is so excited to get back into a similar climate. I work for Time Warner Cable down here and will be able to transfer to the office up there fairly easily from what I have been told. The only thing is is that we have never visited the place. We have been planning to move to the Northwest for some time now but could not narrow down a place. So we have been doing a bit of research for a while and CDA seems right up our alley. The schools look good and everything seems to be too good. Is it too good t be true?

[runnerguy45]

You are going to move someplace you have never seen ?

[Sage of Sagle]

It sounds more like CDA is a "most likely" choice in their relocation hunt....and those of us who live in this area would concur that it's absolutely gorgeous and a great place to live...

[pimit2]

Hi sjhoag,

Coeur d'Alene (CDA) is a good spot, similar in a few ways to Alaska, but quite a bit of a change for a Floridian! Here's my take on a move to CDA:

1. Jobs are a problem across the country, as you know. Jobs - particularly good paying jobs - are scarce in CDA, so make sure your transfer in a sure thing before making a move.

2. I live 40 miles north of CDA in the small, artsy community of Sandpoint. CDA is approaching 45,000 in population, and that's too many folks for me. I prefer a smaller town or a rural area outside of a town. You know....peace and quiet, not much traffic, a slower pace.

3. CDA has 4 distinct seasons, including winters that can be rough with lots of snow and cold conditions, plus lots of grey, cloudy days. CDA is located on a beautiful lake (Lake Coeur d'Alene). The lake is 25 miles long with 125 miles of shoreline. If you enjoy a lake for boating, fishing, sailing, swimming, etc., CDA is a wonderful place to enjoy the other three very special seasons. Spring and fall are awesome, and summers are the best anywhere, in my opinion.

4. CDA is close to the mountains, many rivers and creeks, and the famous forests of the Idaho Panhandle. Hiking, road and mountain biking, hunting, camping, sightseeing and so on are just minutes away.

5. CDA has a variety of shopping, including the box stores, malls and strip malls. It has a good restaurant selection. If what CDA offers along this line is not enough, Spokane, Washington has lots more and is just 30 miles away via a major highway.

6. Schools in CDA are rated good, generally, with a public school system and a host of private schools.

I hope this has been helpful. I'm sure others will respond to your inquiry with other thoughts. You might also check other threads in this Forum about CDA. There are many. I urge you to visit for a few days to better understand what living in Coeur d'Alene would be like.

Got other questions? Here's where you can get answers!


pimit2 (Bob)

[redwhiteblue]

Wow you are adventurous, I would never move anywhere that I haven't visited.
Good luck!

[pll]

Bring a warm coat.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

CdA is one of those places that if you were gonna move and couldnt visit first, your not likely to be dissapointed.. Cant say that about many places Good luck, personally I think you will really like it.
I once told a friend from Florida to check out CdA when he asked me about a place to retire. They went for a weekend. well the weekend turned into a week, and they bought property and built a house soon after.. He absolutely loves it there.

[kwalk65]

Originally Posted by Trace_Rinaldi

CdA is one of those places that if you were gonna move and couldnt visit first, your not likely to be dissapointed.. Cant say that about many places Good luck, personally I think you will really like it.
I once told a friend from Florida to check out CdA when he asked me about a place to retire. They went for a weekend. well the weekend turned into a week, and they bought property and built a house soon after.. He absolutely loves it there.

Gotta jump in here and say it was not the best place for me when we moved from California to CdA in 2004 without first having spent a winter there. We live in North Carolina now and couldn't be happier after we realized that we couldn't do those long gray days of Idaho. However, if your wife is from Alaska she will probably do fine with the winters. CdA is beautiful but I would never even think of moving somewhere again without having spent some time there and researched the area while "on the ground" versus the internet!!!

[sjhoag]

Thank you all for your responses. I know that it does sound a little crazy to go ahead and move to a place that we have never visited. So I have taken that into consideration. Doesn't look like CDA is going to be quite the place that I may end up hanging my hat. The transfer is a bit more difficult that I have heard originally. But I have found a job opportunity in Post Falls. So if all goes well I plan on taking a couple days and flying up there for an interview, to sight-see, and look for a home if everything pans out. It looks so beautiful up there and I have no doubt that my wife would absolutely love being up there. She is an outdoorsy type that used to go on week hunting trips out in the mouontains of Alaska with her father and brother when she was younger. So I am not worried about her. But me, now that's a different story. I will definitely have to try and adjust to the lack of daylight in the winters. I can already tell you that it will most likely be depressing to me, but as long as my wife and children are happy, it is worth it. I'm hoping I will get acclimated quickly. But the summers will be my time.

I have read that the schools are good up there as well, which is a huge plus. If anyone has some more info on Post Falls, I am interested. I really like the location of the city. Between CDA and Spokane sounds great.

Thanks again.

[sjhoag]

Thanks so much for your time in responding to my post Bob. If we end up in Post Falls, CDA sounds like a place we will frequently spend time. It is so exciting hearing all the great things you have mentioned.

Originally Posted by pimit2

Hi sjhoag,

Coeur d'Alene (CDA) is a good spot, similar in a few ways to Alaska, but quite a bit of a change for a Floridian! Here's my take on a move to CDA:

1. Jobs are a problem across the country, as you know. Jobs - particularly good paying jobs - are scarce in CDA, so make sure your transfer in a sure thing before making a move.

2. I live 40 miles north of CDA in the small, artsy community of Sandpoint. CDA is approaching 45,000 in population, and that's too many folks for me. I prefer a smaller town or a rural area outside of a town. You know....peace and quiet, not much traffic, a slower pace.

3. CDA has 4 distinct seasons, including winters that can be rough with lots of snow and cold conditions, plus lots of grey, cloudy days. CDA is located on a beautiful lake (Lake Coeur d'Alene). The lake is 25 miles long with 125 miles of shoreline. If you enjoy a lake for boating, fishing, sailing, swimming, etc., CDA is a wonderful place to enjoy the other three very special seasons. Spring and fall are awesome, and summers are the best anywhere, in my opinion.

4. CDA is close to the mountains, many rivers and creeks, and the famous forests of the Idaho Panhandle. Hiking, road and mountain biking, hunting, camping, sightseeing and so on are just minutes away.

5. CDA has a variety of shopping, including the box stores, malls and strip malls. It has a good restaurant selection. If what CDA offers along this line is not enough, Spokane, Washington has lots more and is just 30 miles away via a major highway.

6. Schools in CDA are rated good, generally, with a public school system and a host of private schools.

I hope this has been helpful. I'm sure others will respond to your inquiry with other thoughts. You might also check other threads in this Forum about CDA. There are many. I urge you to visit for a few days to better understand what living in Coeur d'Alene would be like.

Got other questions? Here's where you can get answers!


pimit2 (Bob)